Chicken-brooder.



A. D. SANDBBRG.

CHICKEN BROODEB.

APPLIoA'rxox num JULY 21, 1911.

Patented July 30, 1912.

W/TNESSES M 34. 62;. Go'LM/WQUI.

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ALVIN D. SANDBERG, F KEARNEY, NEBRASKA. y

CHICKEN-BROODER.

Bpecitlcation of Letters Patent.

Application led July 21, 1911.

Patented July 30, 1912.

serial No; 639,730.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALviN D. SANDnanu, citizen of the United States, residing at Kearney, in the county of Buffalo and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chicken-Broeders, of which t ie following is a s ieciticatioii.

The present. invention re ates to certain new and useful improvements in the construction of broeders such as are employed for hovering and caring for chicks which have been artificially hatched or for some reason taken from the mother hen.

The primary object of the invention is to simplify and improve the construction of brooders in general, and to rovide a broeder which will enable a maximum ercentage of chicks to be successively reared.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a broeder which embodies novel features of construction whereby the chicks are prevented from crowdin together until the weaker chicks are tramp ed upon or injured by the stronger chicks, and which provides suitable roosts for the larger and stronger chicks.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a brooder which does not require the use of artificial heat, whiehis simple and inex ensive in its construction, and which can be coinpactly folded so as to occupy a l small amount of space when not in use. With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the. description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a broeder constructed in accordance with the invention, and Fi 2 is a transverse sectional view throng the same.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

Specifically describing the present embodiment of the invention, the reference haracters A designate a pair of frames which are connected at the top thereof by means of hinges 10 and are adapted to be folded together when not in use, although they are normally spread apart as indicated in Figs. l and 2 of the drawing. Each of these frames A comprises a pair of spaced and parallel end bars 2 connected by a pair of roosting rods l2 and also at a point toward the swinging ends thereof by a cross bar 13. A wire 14 or similar member extends betweeii the end bars 11 immediately below each of the roosting rods 12, and a strip of fabric 15 is doubled over each ot' the wires 14 so as to hang therefrom. This fabric may be of any preferred material suitable for retaining the heat of the chicks nestling under the same, the lower ends of the various pieces of fabric terminating slightly above the ground, as indicated more clearly in Fig. 2. The endent portions ot the fabric members are ormed wtli vertical slits 16 and the small chicks which are placed in the broeder ncstle under the ends of the fabric in the same manner that they would nestle under a mother lien.

For the purpose of holding the wires 14 a ainst sagging, rings 17 are provided wich extend aroutnd the wires and the roosting rods 12 and serve as hangers to support the wires. When the broeder is set up in o erative position, some suitable form of locking member such as the hook 18 is provided for holding the frames A against spreading apart or coming together. These hooks 18 are shown as hinged upon one of the frames A and engaging studs 19 upon the opposite frame.

In t e operation of the broeder the small chicks will ncstle under the fabric strips 15 in the usual manner, and as soon as any of the chicks become sutliciently large to roost they will hop on the rods 12 instead of trampling upon and injuring the weaker and more imperfectly developed chicks. Attention may also be directed to the fact that the roosting rods 12 of each of the frames A have a stepped relation so that the chicks upon the lower roostin -rods will still be partially protected by tie fabric 15 pendent from the wire immediately under the upper roosting rod. The chicks thus have their choice of a lower and partially protected roosting rod or an upper and unprotected roosting rod. Provision is thereby made for the warmth of the weaker as wel as the more perfectly developed ehicks,.and the stronger chicks are properly cared for so that they have no tendency to trample upon and injure the weaker chicks.

" by the fabric pieces, while the stronger chicks would roost upon the roosting rods.

2. A broeder including a supporting frame formed with a series of roostin rods, fabric supporting wires arranged un er the roosting rods, hangers connectm intermediate portions of the wires and t e roosting rods, and fabric members endent ifrom the various wires, the said fa ric members extending downwardly toward the bottom of the supporting frame and co erating with each other to provide a hover or the chicks, the` stronger chicks roostin upon the rods as soon as they become su ciently Well developed for that purpose.

3. In a brooder, the combination of a supporting frame including a roosting rod, a wire arranged under t e roosting rod, rings extending around the wire and roosting rod to support 'the wire, and fabric pendent from the wire.

4. A brooder including a supporting frame formed with a series of roosting rods, a wire arranged under each of the roosting rods, rings extending around the wires and roosting rods to support the wires, and

copies o! tml'pntent mly'be obtained lor'iive mm nach, by'lddreutng the Commissioner of Patents,

-of hinged frames Aadapted to be folded together when not in use, each of the hinged frames being formed with a series of roosting rods, means for holding the hinged frames at -an angle to each other when the device is in use, and a fabric member arran ed under each of the roosting rods, the saidg fabric members extending downwardly toward the bottom of the frame and coperating with each other to provide a hover for the weaker chicks, the stronger chicks being adapted to roost upon the rods.

6. -In a broeder, the combination of a pair of hinged frames adapted to be folded together when not in use, each of the frames including ya series of roosting rods, means for holdin the hinged frames at an angle to each otiicr when the device is in use, a fabric supporting wire extending under each of the 'roosting rods, and a fabric membor pendent from each of the fabric supporting wires, the said fabric members extending to the bottom of the .frame and coperating with each other to provide a hover for the weaker chicks, the stronger and better developed chicks being adapted to roost upon the rods.

In testimony7 whereof I aiiixmy signature in presence o 'two witnesses.

ALVIN D. SANDBERG. Witnesses W. S. KnL'rNnn, yA.. Wixsrnou.

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